Personal Statement
I would like to study for the part-time Master’s degree in International Relations to gain a general perspective and understanding of how current and future world affairs are likely to impact my business investments and operations. As the world becomes more globalized, events in one region affect business and relations in another. This interconnectedness and proximity requires the acquisition of a broad understanding of world affairs, as changes in one region may provide opportunities or create threats in another. By completing a masters in International Relations, I hope to acquire the skills and knowledge to judge and interpret world events more accurately and to draw appropriate conclusions for the strategic benefit of my business.
The importance of world affairs has become ever more important for my professional career following the recent acquisition by my company of a major factory in the North of Greece that manufactures and supplies wood-related melamine boards and is currently exporting to a variety of countries in the Balkans region, the Middle East, Israel and North Africa. I have been appointed Managing Director of this company and, in an overview of what the role entails, given international exposure to a variety of different markets and countries with unique geo-strategic characteristics, a Masters in International Relations would be a valuable addition to my skills. By obtaining a solid grounding in world affairs, I would be able to better understand my customers, have exposure to the relevant markets and, be aware of the threats and opportunities that might result from various global events.
Prior to these developments, I had been working for the family business as the director for investments and finance, managing a portfolio of investments in Cyprus, Greece, London and Israel. In the past I have worked for a major construction company called J&P in Greece and the Middle East as a Finance Manager. Prior to that, I worked for Arthur Andersen in London, where I became a Chartered Accountant. While at Arthur Andersen, I worked on a major project for the Sultan of Brunei in Brunei for 6 months, and I also witnessed one of the greatest corporate failures in history, that of Enron, while part of the Arthur Andersen audit team in London at the time. I also have a law degree from the London School of Economics.
In all areas of my life, I had a passion to learn and to understand the theoretical underpinnings of things. I also always wanted to have a solid grounding in best practices, and to know the theory before exercising the practice of things. Hence my decision to do a part time MBA while working for the family business as I recognized a need to improve my managing of people, processes, and customer skills.
I have already had many successes in this field, yet I am driven to improve on them further still. I have worked very to have had the very exciting and varied accomplishments that I have already achieved in my various jobs up to this point. At the Petoussis Bros. Group, I headed up the finance and investments function of a group with total assets of 100 million euros. I was also pivotal in successful acquisitions of major competitors in Cyprus, in negotiating and securing lucrative and profitable deals, and hands-on involvement in integrating people and systems into the Group. I also led a major cost-saving initiative across the company, including a savings of 4 million euros by eliminating redundancies and overhauling existing roles and processes within the company. Prior to working there, I worked for J&P AVAX, Greece, where I was responsible for monitoring, reporting and liaison with Joint Venture partners on the progress and profitability of various 2004 Olympic Games construction projects, including purpose-built stadiums, the Athens metro, the Attica Highway, and the Rio-Antirio bridge. From 2001 to 2003, I was a Financial Analyst at Commercial Capital Ventures, where I facilitated venture capitalist investments in Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Russia, and the Balkans, during a very turbulent and critical period for some of these countries. Before that, at Arthur Anderson, I worked for six months in Brunei on a financial investigation of that country, which included cash flows, budget forecasts, and a review of financial viability. I also spent a year working on risk management reviews and consultancy work at the Enron Headquarters in London. I have been lucky to have had such interesting and varied tasks in the various positions I have held over the years. Clearly, I am always looking for new and exciting opportunities to grow and learn.
I am very committed to the cause. I work hard to get the job done, and I constantly strive to learn and become a better person, both professionally and personally. I have a wife, Rena, and two children, Roza and Nicolas. Spending time with them is my favorite activity. I believe that children are our greatest obligation, and that we should take care of them and teach them well. I have always enjoyed the time spent while working on my MBA when I sat next to my seven-year-old daughter, studying with her as if we were classmates. That certainly made both her and me very proud.
It is my hope that through this master’s degree, I will equip myself with valuable knowledge and skills that would be of assistance in my new role and would help me perform my job at a higher standard, for the benefit of both myself and the family business. I see it as another opportunity to gain new skills and experience that will help me achieve my goals for myself and for my company.
